The producers of the new Harry Potter TV series have announced that a major character is being recast ahead of its second season.

Child actor Gracie Cochrane is set to play Ginny Weasley in the latest adaptation of JK Rowling’s children’s stories, which will premiere at the end of this year.

However, when production on season two – in which the youngest Weasley sibling is featured more prominently – gets underway, the character will be recast for undisclosed reasons.

In a statement to Deadline, the young performer and her family said: “Due to unforeseen circumstances Gracie has made the challenging decision to step away from her role as Ginny Weasley in the HBO Harry Potter series after season one.

“Her time as part of the Harry Potter world has been truly wonderful, and she is deeply grateful to [casting director] Lucy Bevan and the entire production team for creating such an unforgettable experience.”

They added: “Gracie is very excited about the opportunities her future holds.”

US broadcaster HBO also said: “We support Gracie Cochrane and her family’s decision not to return for the next season of HBO’s Harry Potter series, and we are grateful for her work on season one of the show. We wish Gracie and her family the best.”

A new adaptation of Harry Potter was first confirmed to be in the works by HBO in 2023, with one season being dedicated to each of the seven books.

The project has faced some backlash due to the presence of Harry Potter author JK Rowling as an executive producer.

Rowling has become a divisive figure in recent years due to her stance on issues relating to transgender people, which has included deliberately and repeatedly misgendering trans public figures, and donating tens of thousands of pounds to the campaign group which raised the initial legal challenge that led to the UK Supreme Court’s ruling last year that the legal definition of a woman should include only those who were assigned female at birth.

Channel 4 has pulled every episode of Married At First Sight UK amid controversy over a BBC Panorama special about the reality show.

On Monday, the BBC announced that it would be airing The Dark Side Of Married At First Sight that evening, featuring accounts from three former contestants who have accused their co-stars of sexual misconduct.

The half-hour exposé featured a contribution from one ex-MAFS UK contestant, Shona Manderson, who alleged the man she was paired up with on the show violated her consent by ejaculating inside of her during sex, when they had previously agreed on using the withdrawal method as a form of contraception.

Shona eventually told production company CPL’s welfare team what had happened. Their legal team has claimed that Shona told CPL at the time that it wasn’t something she had any issue with.

Not long after, Shona and her on-screen “husband” were removed from the show, after production began taking issue with the language he was using to speak to her on screen, which they felt was “controlling”.

Bradley Skelly, the man in question, told the BBC that he denies “any allegations of sexual misconduct” or “controlling” behaviour.

Two more anonymous former contestants also brought allegations that they were raped by their on-screen “husbands”, with one claiming her partner threatened to have acid thrown in her face.

Channel 4 said on Monday that an external review was commissioned in April into the welfare of MAFS UK contestants.

“In April, Channel 4 was presented with serious allegations of wrongdoing against a small number of past contributors, allegations that we understand those contributors have denied,” a spokesperson said, as reported by Sky News.

“The channel is mindful of the privacy and continuing duty of care towards all contributors, and cannot comment on or disclose details of those allegations.

“Related to those allegations, Channel 4 was asked to respond to claims of failures in welfare protocols. Channel 4 believes that when concerns related to contributor welfare were raised through existing welfare and production protocols, prompt and appropriate action was taken, based on the information available at the time.

“Channel 4 strongly refutes any claim to the contrary.”

The broadcaster’s chief executive Priya Dogra also said: “I want to express my sympathy to contributors who have clearly been distressed after taking part in Married At First Sight UK. The wellbeing of our contributors is always of paramount importance.

“It would be wholly inappropriate for me to comment on what are very serious allegations made against some MAFS UK contributors.

“Those allegations – which I understand are disputed by the contributors accused – are not something that Channel 4 is in a position to adjudicate on.

“We are also mindful of our ongoing duty of care to all contributors, and the need to preserve the anonymity and privacy of all involved.”

She added: “On the claims that Channel 4 may have failed in its duty of care, I believe that when concerns about contributor welfare were raised, and based on the information available at the time, Channel 4 acted quickly, appropriately, sensitively and with wellbeing front and centre.”

Meanwhile, CPL’s legal team maintained to Panorama that its welfare and duty of care systems are “gold standard” and “industry-leading”.

CPL’s legal team also said that appropriate action had been taken in all cases when issues were raised to the production company’s welfare team.

A representative for the Department For Digital, Culture, Media And Sport spokesperson told the BBC that the allegations were “serious”, and that “everyone working and participating in television must be treated with dignity and respect at all times”.

The spokesperson continued: “All allegations must be referred to the appropriate authorities and investigated with the full co-operation of those involved, with action taken to ensure that the highest standards are upheld and there are consequences for criminality or wrongdoing.”

• Rape Crisis services for women and girls who have been raped or have experienced sexual violence – 0808 802 9999
• Survivors UK offers support for men and boys – 0203 598 3898

Comedian Josh Widdicombe found himself right in the hot seat during an appearance on Good Morning Britain.

For the last week, Josh has been at the centre of rumours that he and Emma Willis are poised to take over as the new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing, and when he paid GMB a visit on Tuesday, presenters Susanna Reid and Ed Balls repeatedly put him on the spot about the speculation.

“Look, it’s lovely to be linked,” he responded, remarking that Strictly would be “an impressive thing to be on my CV”.

Attempting to turn the question around, Josh then suggested Ed and Susanna as possible hosts, to which the latter insisted: “I don’t think either of us have been approached.”

Doubling down, she then asked: “Third time, are you the next presenter?”

“It would be lovely, absolutely lovely,” he reiterated, much to the hosts’ frustrations. “I’m glad to be linked with it – I would love to do it. We’d all love to do it!”

As Susanna quipped that Josh’s reluctance to answer the question “does mean he’s got it”, he insisted: “It doesn’t mean anything!”

Following months of speculation, The Sun reported over the weekend that Josh and Emma would be replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman when Strictly returns to our screens later this year.

The tabloid also alleged that resident Strictly pro Johannes Radebe would be joining the presenting line-up in a new “roving reporter” role.

So far, the BBC has remained tight-lipped on all of these rumours, with a spokesperson telling HuffPost UK earlier this month: “Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course.”

Meanwhile, It Takes Two stars Zoe Ball and Fleur East have both made no secret of their disappointment at not landing the presenting role.

Strictly Come Dancing is expected to return to our screens in its usual slot in late August.

Our favourite moment of this year’s Cannes Film Festival has to be John Travolta debuting a bold new look.

The two-time Oscar nominee and HuffPost UK fave premiered his directorial debut Propeller One-Way Night Coach at the film festival on Friday night, and delivered a fantastic viral moment when he hit the red carpet.

John made his way into the premiere sporting a beret and round spectacles, and has also been sporting variations of the look at other Cannes events, including accepting an honorary Palme D’Or.

Speaking to CNN about becoming an accidental viral sensation with his attire, the Grease star admitted he was just trying to emulate the filmmakers of old Hollywood.

“I’ve been around for over 50 years doing movies,” John explained. “But I can’t tell, when I look back, the difference between the events. And I said, ‘I’m a director this time – you’re an actor, play the part of a director, look like an old-school director’.

“So, I looked up pictures [from the] 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and the old-school directors wore berets and the glasses. And I thought, ‘that’s what I’m doing’. I’m going to do an homage to being a director.”

He continued: “So I’m going to play the part of being a director. And then, when I look back, I’ll know, ‘oh that was Propeller One-Way Night Coach, that was Cannes, that was when I won the Palme D’Or’. And I will have a vivid [memory] of it.”

Propeller One-Way Night Coach is based on the children’s book of the same name, and leans into John’s well-documented love of planes (he even piloted his own plane to Cannes for his film’s premiere).

He was joined at the premiere by his daughter, Ella Travolta, who plays a flight attendant named Doris in the movie.

Watch the trailer for Propeller One-Way Night Coach below, ahead of its Apple TV+ debut later this month:

A BBC reporter has suggested Donald Trump’s latest Iran U-turn may have more to do with his rising unpopularity with American voters than any desire to end the war.

The US president said he had called off plans to launch fresh strikes on the country because a peace deal could be in sight.

Trump claimed that the leaders of several Gulf nations had urged him not to go ahead with his plans to allow negotiations to end the conflict to continue.

His change of heart came just a day after he warned Tehran “the clock is ticking” for them to agree a peace deal.

Posting on Truth Social on Monday night, he said: “We will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow, but have further instructed [US military chiefs] to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.”

On Radio 4′s Today programme, BBC North America correspondent Peter Bowes said: “This was a somewhat unusual statement from the US president, that he had decided not to launch, as he put it, ‘a very major attack on Iran today’.

“He made this announcement on his Truth Social platform before the US markets closed. He said he’d been asked by the leaders of several Gulf allies to hold off because, he said ‘in their opinion a deal will be made that is acceptable to the United States as well as all countries in the Middle East and beyond’.

“Mr Trump went on to say that ‘serious negotiations are underway’ but he reiterated, as he’s been saying all along, that this deal must include no nuclear weapons for Iran.

“This raises many questions about the actual status of any talks, which the president didn’t elaborate on.”

He said the president was sending out “lots of mixed messages” on the war, which he suggested may be partly driven by his negative poll ratings.

“He said the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and some others had asked for the attack to be put off for two or three days,” said Bowed.

“That’s quite a narrow window for any negotiations to result in a deal, but equally he is facing pressure in this country.

“The latest opinion polls are very negative towards the president, not only in terms of his overall performance, but especially in the way he has conducted this war.”

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Many parents of children with ADHD will have noticed sleep can be a tricky area (to say the least) – research suggests up to 50-70% of kids with ADHD have sleep problems.

It’s perhaps unsurprising, then, that the following morning, they can really struggle to rise and get ready in a timely manner. This can make getting to school or childcare on time a stressful – sometimes seemingly impossible – experience all round.

Dr Chris Abbott, chief medical officer at Care ADHD, says they consistently hear that mornings are “one of the most stressful pressure points for families”.

Psychotherapist Gee Eltringham agrees that mornings can be “incredibly difficult for people with ADHD, especially children and teenagers”.

But if your child seems unable to wake, or is constantly distracted, emotional, argumentative or slow to get moving before school, she stresses “it is not usually laziness or defiance”.

“Often, it is their brain struggling to transition into the day,” she insists.

Dr Chris Abbott explains that for many children with ADHD, “mornings are less about ‘getting up’ and more about a slow neurological switch from sleep to activation”.

There are a few physiological factors behind this. Firstly, ADHD is associated with a naturally later internal body clock. “The brain struggles to produce melatonin at a typical time, meaning children are genuinely wired to fall asleep (and wake) later than neurotypical peers,” he says.

Children with ADHD might also have racing thoughts, which can make it difficult to switch off at night. And kids who game or scroll social media before bed activate the brain further, which in turn makes morning waking harder.

Eltringham, who is also the founder of the ADHD tool twigged, notes that dopamine can play a big role in kids struggling to rise in the morning.

“Dopamine is a neurotransmitter heavily involved in motivation, reward, attention, and initiating tasks,” she explains. “Dopamine levels are naturally lower in the morning, and for ADHD brains, which already struggle with dopamine regulation, this can make getting out of bed and starting the day feel overwhelming.”

And then, even after we’ve considered all of that, there are several common ADHD-related differences stacked together at the same time which create this perfect storm for them struggling to leave the house.

Kids might have difficulty transitioning between steps and get “stuck” moving from one task to the next, suggests Dr Abbott. They can also become overwhelmed from too many instructions.

“Time blindness” (struggling to perceive how quickly time passes) can also mean your sense of urgency as their parent doesn’t naturally translate into action on their part.

Children with ADHD might also experience emotional dysregulation on waking, “where frustration or anxiety appears quickly in response to demand or pressure”, he adds. Repeated prompting from parents can further increase stress and make functioning harder, rather than easier.

“These aren’t isolated behaviours – they reflect a mismatch between neurodevelopmental needs and conventional morning expectations,” says the expert.

But when families are supported with the right structures, mornings often shift from a daily point of friction into something far more predictable – “not because the child changes, but because the environment finally fits how their brain works”.

Gee Eltringham stresses that “good sleep habits really do matter” – especially for kids with ADHD. She recommends having predictable evening routines, instating consistent bedtimes, making sure kids are getting enough sleep for their age, keeping the bedroom cool, dark and calm and limiting screens before bed (enforcing a “device-free” bedroom might help).

Calming strategies like journalling before bed or “heavy work” activities (like wall press-ups, pushing against a wall or carrying weighted items) can also help them to power down for the evening.

If your child becomes overwhelmed by a barrage of instructions in the morning, try to do as much prep the night before which can “dramatically reduce stress and resistance in the morning”, says Eltringham.

• School uniform or clothes laid out
• Bags packed
• Homework ready
• Shoes and coats prepared (try the launch pad trick)
• Breakfast plans sorted.

“The fewer executive functioning demands there are in the morning, the smoother things tend to go,” she adds.

“Trying to organise yourself and manage an overwhelmed ADHDer at the same time is a recipe for stress,” says Eltringham, who advises parents to get up before their kids and get ready so you can be on hand to chivvy them along.

Dr Abbott recommends reducing demand on your child’s brain at waking with gradual, low-pressure wake-up cues – gentle light (crack the curtains open a peep), calm sounds, or a consistent audio signal rather than abrupt alarms or verbal demands. A low-volume radio alarm clock could be a good shout.

He also advises creating a buffer of 10-15 minutes before instructions, screens, or tasks begin, which allows the brain to transition more naturally into an alert state.

One of the most important things parents can do is understand executive function age, suggests Eltringham, who says “a common rule of thumb is that ADHDers can be around 30% behind their chronological age in executive functioning skills”.

In theory, this might mean a 12-year-old may function more like an eight-year-old when it comes to organisation, time management, emotional regulation and independence.

“Most parents would not expect an eight-year-old to independently manage an entire morning routine without support yet many expect this from a 12-year-old,” she says.

“When expectations become more realistic, frustration often decreases for everyone.”

Kids are far more cooperative when they feel connected – and Eltringham notes that even spending just 5-7 minutes connecting in the morning can make a noticeable difference.

This could be: a cuddle in bed, a quiet chat over tea, a quick card game over breakfast, or even just sitting together.

Get yourself a morning routine hashed out – and stick to it. Visual routines can be a real help – “a simple chart or checklist removes the need for repeated verbal prompting and gives the child something external to follow, reducing reliance on working memory,” says Dr Abbott.

Mitigate against “time blindness” with a visual countdown timer, which replaces abstract urgency with something concrete and predictable.

“Setting a five-minute visual countdown for getting dressed or brushing teeth is often far more effective than verbal reminders alone,” says Eltringham.

We’ve all been there – you’ve asked your child to put their school jumper on for the 20th time and you’re just about ready to implode. Your child, meanwhile, is getting more irate at your increasingly urgent demands.

Dr Abbott says repeated instructions tend to increase stress and dysregulation, making it harder to function.

“A calm, consistent cue is more effective than a louder or more urgent one,” he says.

Eltringham’s golden rule is that “ADHDers are motivated by novelty, challenge and purpose”.

“Their brains constantly seek stimulation and dopamine,” she explains. “If they cannot find dopamine through positive stimulation, they may unconsciously seek it through negative stimulation instead, hence arguments, conflict, silliness, or chaos. This is why mornings can quickly turn into battles.”

She recommends using dopamine-friendly strategies like setting challenges (“can you beat the timer?”), using novelty (“we’re having pancakes for breakfast if we get ready quickly”) or purpose (“your sister really needs help with her reading this morning, you’re so good at helping her”).

Eltringham caveats that once a strategy becomes predictable, it may stop working, so routines often need refreshing.

The therapist notes that many children with ADHD will need support in the mornings long after their peers seem independent. “That is okay,” she says. “Do not punish them for struggling with skills they genuinely find difficult. Instead, focus on supporting them, scaffolding the skills they are missing, and gradually helping them build independence over time.

“They will get there – just on a different timeline.”

Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Sunday to post an AI-generated image showing him bombing Earth, minutes after his pre-taped Bible reading played at a MAGA-friendly prayer event on the National Mall.

The image, which Trump unleashed as House Speaker Mike Johnson prayed for “mercy upon our land” and “mercy upon us for our mistakes,” shows the president pressing a red button on a control panel while inside some sort of space station or starship orbit above the planet.

The visual features Trump surrounded by small, military-like figures seated by the control panel as several screens show massive explosions taking place on the ground.

At least one screen shows a mushroom cloud-like blast alongside the text, “TARGET DESTROYED.”

The out-of-this-world image shared by the self-described “peace” president is a kind of fantastical continuation of his recent tendency to post genocidal threats on the platform.

The visuals were part of an extraterrestrial-themed posting tear that arrived as thousands took to Washington, DC, to hear from controversial speakers and Trump officials at a taxpayer-funded, all-day event called “Rededicate 250.”

Trump, who shared an AI-generated Space Force-themed image showing him working aboard a spacecraft earlier in the weekend, took to Truth Social on Sunday morning to express his hopes that attendees were having a “GOOD TIME” at the event.

But — in the lead-up to his pre-taped reading and afterward — he didn’t seem to care about the religion-heavy event as he dribbled out a series of bizarre memes, made-for-MAGA attacks against his opponents and a spread of space-themed posts on the platform.

One such image depicted Trump wearing sunglasses and commanding a “Star Wars”-like droid army flying American flags as the Space Force logo appeared overhead.

Another showed the president helping escort an alien life form in handcuffs away as he’s flanked by men dressed in suits and at least one US military member.

Trump later reshared the planet-destroying image at the same time as a pastor preached about Jesus Christ on the National Mall stage.

And another AI illustration showed a stern-faced president manning a spacecraft as missiles fired away in outer space behind him.